Mum guilty of 'Toilet Drowning' murder of newborn.

nicolaou

I first posted this article on another site (I feel so dirty) where I was totally lambasted for my point of view. This time I'm going to keep silent and listen to the rest of you. Just one question; How many victims are there?Nic'

Jurors Convict Mom Of Murder For Toilet-Drowning Infant
Juror Claims Panel Unaware They Had Other Options

POSTED: 2:39 p.m. PDT October 24, 2002
UPDATED: 2:46 p.m. PDT October 24, 2002

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- Jurors who convicted a woman of second-degree murder in the toilet-drowning death of her newborn son may not have realized that they could have convicted her of involuntary manslaughter.

Donna Michelle Knight's sentencing was postponed for at least two months by Superior Court Judge Ronald Taylor so defense attorney Grover Porter can question jurors to determine if they misunderstood instructions. One juror claimed the panel didn't know involuntary manslaughter was an option.

Knight, 37, was convicted June 14 of murdering her son in September 1999. The 10-woman, two-man jury returned a second-degree murder verdict, which calls for 15 years to life in prison. Involuntary manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of four years.

Deputy District Attorney Deena Bennett had sought a first-degree murder conviction, arguing that the unmarried woman intentionally killed her baby after concealing her pregnancy because she was afraid of repercussions from her Jehovah's Witness church.

Bennett said the religion considers sexual relations outside of marriage grounds for excommunication.

Porter argued that Knight, who weighed at least 275 pounds, did not know she was pregnant and on the day of the baby's death she was taking antidepressants and other medication and could not remember what happened.

Although jurors were given an instruction for involuntary manslaughter, the foreman told them they could not consider that option, a juror said. Actually, it was voluntary manslaughter that was not to be considered.

original story: http://www.nbc4.tv/news/1739114/detail.html

hamptonite21

Absolutely sick and horriable.

Sentinel

I feel empathy for this girl, but we are all held accountable for our actions.

out4good3

I e-mailed this article to my wife. I know she read it.

She had no comment.

Scully

If she didn't know she was pregnant, and then compound that with the fact that she was being treated for depression, it wouldn't surprise me that this woman had an episode of postpartum psychosis.

Other countries' legal systems take medical conditions like postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis into consideration in cases of infanticide.

On the other hand, in the US and Canada, she would have had the legal option of therapeutic abortion if she had been aware of her pregnancy (in other words, not in denial of the pregnancy) and nobody (other than JWs) would have thought any less of her.

Sad. Very very sad.

Love, Scully

troucul

two words:

capital punishment

A Paduan

After all, they did convince her that it was in their power to have her live forever in a paradise, or otherwise be hideously killed off for bird food - and so they made themselves the god and master she feared, with the power of life and death - well done jws.

Edited by - a paduan on 29 October 2002 19:42:24

jurs

I had a close friend who was served 7 years in the womens prison in Montana for killing 2 of her newborns. Her first child was born in 1989 apparently she suffocated the infant and wrapped it in a platic bag. A year later she gave birth to another child and did the same thing. Its really weird because she put both babies in the trunk of her car and then abandoned the car. Somebody reported the car to the authorities and they traced it back to her. I don't know where she kept the first baby for that whole year before she put it in the trunk with the other infant.

No one ever knew she was pregnant !!! My daughters were both born the same month and years that her two babies were born. We worked at the same casino together and spent alot of time with one another. I never suspected that she was pregnant.

After I had found out about what she had done I supported her as best I could. I went and visited her and wrote to her. I did this for several years. The thing that ended our friendship was when I became a JW !!! I gave her some literature and when I would write I would include scriptures to bring her comfort. She wrote me back a letter that basically said she wasn't interested in the JW's. She went on about some other minister or religon that she liked. For some reason that really bugged me and I quit writing to her and never visited her again when I was back in Montana.

As far as what I think about the story you printed, its sad but its not unheard of. My friend used postpartum depression as her defense. All I know is that she was a really nice girl. Everyone liked her and felt shocked when it hit the news. I don't believe that she was a evil or selfish person. She must have mentally snapped and perhaps the postpartum caused this.

As strange as this story is it gets even stranger. A couple of years ago I ran into her. I was working in a childrens conseinment store and we would enter customers names into our computer to keep track of what clothes they sold. Anyway, she came in and I was working. She gave a different name ( She must have changed it when she got out of prison) I said hi to her and when she looked at me she went white! Here she had moved far away to get a fresh start and she runs into me.

She had 2 little kids with her , I assume they are hers. I hope she has gotten help for whatever caused her to snap.

jurs

nicolaou

Scully, you're right, this is a very sad story.

It would be wrong to ascribe all aberrant JW behaviour to Watchtower indoctrination and manipulation but by the same token it would be naive to think that it was not an influence at all.

Here are the original responses to RR first post of this story.

Jurs, that is a tragic story!!

jws

If she didn't know she was pregnant, and then compound that with the fact that she was being treated for depression, it wouldn't surprise me that this woman had an episode of postpartum psychosis.

I thought she basically gave birth into the toilet and left it there.

Forgive me for being ignorant, but wouldn't postpartum psychosis be "post" partum? In other words, some time after the delivery? Now if she gave birth, then took the baby over to the toilet and drown it, that's a little different and I could see how that might be considered afterwards.

Mum guilty of 'Toilet Drowning' murder of newborn.

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